Raising The Elephant Bird
by showtunediva
Summary: Set after Horton's trial. Mayzie returns from her vacation and learns of all the events that have occurred in her absence. Characters in this story: Bird Girls ,Horton, Gertrude. Sour Kangaroo, Wickershams, Jojo, Mr and Mrs. Mayor


**Raising The Elephant Bird**

Horton smiled as Jojo pulled Gertrude away so he could meet the rest of the Bird Girls. He was happy that the trial was over and that things would eventually be more unified between the Whos and the Jungle Creatures.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with Sour Kangaroo.

"Congratulations on winning the trial and your new little one." She said

Horton smiled at her warmly. "Thank you Sour Kangaroo. I am so relieved that the trial is over. Hopefully now that the Jungle Creatures and Whos have met we'll all be able to live in unison.

Sour Kangaroo indicated her child in her pouch. " If you wouldn't mind we'd like to help you raise the Elephant Bird."

Horton exhaled. He had been concerned that he and Gertrude would have to raise the child on their own and had no idea how to go about it. "That would be great. Gertrude and I have no idea where to begin with raising a child."

Young Kangaroo grinned. "I'm excited to have a new brother Horton!"

Horton patted her on the head. "We'll all be in this together. Hopefully whenever Mayzie comes back she'll help out too in one way or another. This was supposed to be her child after all."

"Has anyone heard from her lately?" Sour Kangaroo asked.

Horton shrugged his shoulders. "I have no clue. I will have to ask the Bird Girls later on if they have heard from her."

"Wait until she hears about all the excitement she's missed." Young Kangaroo said.

"She certainly has missed quite a lot. Horton said and Sour Kangaroo nodded her head in agreement.

Jojo ran over to Horton excitedly. " Horton, the Bird Girls are so nice! Zoe invited us over for dinner tonight to celebrate winning the trial!"

Horton grinned. "Great! What time do they want us to come over?"

"6:00."

Sounds great! Tell your parents they're invited too."

Jojo nodded. "Okay!"

Later that evening the Bird Girls, Horton, Gertrude, Mr and Mrs. Mayor, Jojo and the Kangaroos sat around the large oak table in the Penthouse.

"Thank you for having us over!" Mrs. Mayor said

Scarlet smiled. "Gertrude has told us to much about you and it's nice to finally meet you."

"Aren't you so glad the trial is over?" Mr. Mayor asked Gertrude.

Gertrude nodded her head. "Definitely. It's been an overwhelming last couple weeks I am so glad all this ridiculousness is over with now."

Evie nodded her head in agreement. "Amen to that! "

Jojo grinned at his parents. "I met a few young jungle creatures today that are about my age. I can't wait to get to know them better."

"So what are the next steps for unifying the jungle creatures and Whos?" Sour Kangaroo asked.

Mrs. Mayor swallowed a sip of her wine. "I think it will take awhile for everyone to get acclimated. It feels different that we're officially off that clover... almost liberating in fact."

"Have you ladies heard anything from Mayzie about when she's coming back from her vacation?" Sour Kangaroo asked.

Skye nodded. "We got a postcard from her. She's coming back early next week."

"Do you think she'll take any accountability for her egg?"

Gertrude shrugged. "I sure hope that she does. She left poor Horton in a lurch for such a long time. I hope she will help us raise the Elephant Bird."

Skye patted Gertrude's shoulder. "Don't worry sweetheart. We'll all help you."

"Why would she be gone for such a long time? It's a bit outrageous how long she's been gone." Mr. Mayor asked.

Tia nodded. "Yes, she left in October and was only supposed to be gone for about two weeks. We were surprised that she was gone for longer than that."

"What's been keeping her away for so long?"

"Men. She went away with someone she met at the party we had for her before she left... she also has a boyfriend from a previous relationship who lives in Fort Worth so she went to go visit."

Sour Kangaroo had a smirk on her face similar to the one she'd had worn during Horton's trial. "Sounds like she's a little confused about who she should be with."

"I don't think she wants to get together with her ex but you never know with Mayzie . We're certainly never certain what we're going to expect from her." Orla said.

Once dinner was served Zoe took her seat at the head of the table and raised her glass in a toast.

"To a successful trial and new friendships that will form from it."

"Cheers! " Glasses clinked around the table.

Mayzie returned from her vacation on a Tuesday the week following the trial. She immediately noticed changes that had taken place around the jungle and decided to investigate them. She noticed two of the Wickershams carrying wood.

"What's all that wood for Rueben?" she asked.

"Building houses. The Whos are now living among us in the jungle."

Her jaw dropped in shock. "Excuse me!"

" You sure missed a lot while you were away Mayzie! Mainly the fact that the Whos really do exist!" The second Wickersham Jude said.

"Seriously?"

Reuben nodded. "Horton had a huge trial last week. It was insane. They almost boiled the clover but young JoJo the Mayor's son was able to save Whoville."

"Where are Mr. and Mrs. Mayor living?"

"With Gertrude for now until their house is built It should be done by the end of the week."

"Did the egg ever hatch?"

Jude nodded. "Yup! A cute elephant bird hatched from the egg. Gertrude and Horton named him JoJo."

"Everyone has been wondering why you were gone for such a long time." Jude said.

Mayzie shrugged. " I needed a vacation."

Jude and Reuben exchanged a glance. "For five months? You told Horton you were going to be gone for two weeks!" Reuben said.

"I ended up getting some gigs while I was away. I couldn't turn them down. I needed the money."

"How did things turn out with that guy you met at the party before you left?"

"The relationship turned out to be a total dud. I ended up meeting up with my ex in Fort Worth. He's coming to visit at the end of the week."

"What's his name again?"

"Tweet McFurt."

"Your name came up during Horton's trial you know." Jude said

"Really, how come?"

"People were wondering if you're going to take accountability for your egg. I mean you practically abandoned it."

Mayzie shook her head. "That's ridiculous! I left the egg with Horton. Obviously everyone knew that."

"Horton didn't know the first thing about taking care of an egg and he looked ridiculous sitting on it." Ruben said.

"I'm sure the other girls gave him some pointers."

"Why couldn't you have asked Gertrude to sit on the egg? She would have loved to." Rueben asked.

"Yeah that would have made a lot more sense." Jude said.

"Gee, I really don't know." Mayzie replied.

"It might be wise to apologize to Horton Mayzie." Ruben said and Jude nodded in agreement.

"Where is he?".

Jude jerked his finger over his shoulder. " I saw him head toward the watering hole with the Elephant Bird and the Kangaroos. It's so hot out today They went for a swim."

"All right. I'll head over there now. Thanks boys."

"No problem."

It took Mayzie about five minutes to get to the watering hole. She saw the Kangaroos there with Horton, the Elephant Bird Gertrude and two of her back up singers Jessica and Evie."

"Well well, look who finally decided to come back from Paradise Island." Sour Kangaroo said with a twinge of sarcasm in her voice.

This wasn't the welcome Mayzie was expecting.

"Hey Horton, can we talk for a second?" Mayzie asked.

Horton nodded. "Sure Mayzie."

Horton got out of the water and walked over with Mayzie to a shady spot not too far from the watering hole.

"Welcome home." Horton said.

Mayzie looked at Horton uncomfortably. "Thanks. Listen Horton, I wanted to talk to you about everything that has happened."

Horton's cheeks suddenly grew red with anger. "Do you realize all that I've been through Mayzie? All the ridicule and teasing? The trial?"

Mayzie nodded slowly. "Yeah, Jude and Ruben just filled me in on all of it."

"I guess you never picked up on how angry I was when you saw me at the circus in Palm Beach."

Mayzie let out a sigh. " I really didn't think things through when I originally asked you to take care of the egg Horton. I didn't realize at the time what you had been through with everyone else giving you a hard time about the clover and that people would give you an even harder time about sitting on the egg."

"Did Jude and Ruben mention to you that your name came up during the trial?"

Mayzie nodded again. "Yup. I'm really sorry for everything Hort. How can I make it up to you?"

"Helping us raise the elephant bird would be a start. He was supposed to be your child to begin with."

"I'll do anything I can to help you and Gertrude."

Horton smiled. "Thank you and thank you for apologizing."

Mayzie hugged her friend tightly.


End file.
